That Part Still Hurts - Hardcover

by Joseph Blake Paul (Author)

This is not a story that was written because everything made sense. It was written because it didn't.

In these pages, I invite you into a life shaped by love, loss, identity, and the quiet, complicated process of becoming. What begins as a simple writing exercise turns into something much deeper, a record of survival, growth, and the moments that define us long after they pass. From grief at a young age to navigating relationships, heartbreak, and self-worth in my twenties, this memoir does not shy away from the messy, unfiltered truth of it all.

At its core, this is a story about memory. The kind you hold onto, the kind you wish you could forget, and the kind that changes meaning over time. It is about losing a childhood home and everything it represented, about learning how to let go of people who were never meant to stay, and about finding family in the ones who choose you back. It is about rebuilding, not just physically, but emotionally, piece by piece.

At times, this book reads like self-help, offering reflections, lessons, and hard-earned truths pulled from lived experience. At other times, it leans into satire, finding humor in situations that once felt impossible to laugh at. There are moments that feel like literary fiction, where memory blurs with meaning, and storytelling becomes a way to process what cannot be neatly explained. It does not fit into one box, because neither does life.

Told with honesty, vulnerability, and moments of unexpected humor, I reflect on what it means to grow up while still carrying the weight of where I came from. I explore the tension between holding on and moving forward, between who I was and who I am still becoming.

This memoir is for anyone who has ever felt like they have lived multiple lives in a short amount of time. For anyone who has had to start over without a clear roadmap. For anyone learning that healing is not linear, and that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply keep going.

Raw, reflective, and deeply personal, this is more than a collection of memories. It is a testament to resilience, to chosen family, and to the quiet strength it takes to turn pain into something meaningful.